Sunset boat tour of La Maddalena: evening cruises with aperitivo from Palau

A sunset boat tour of La Maddalena is a different animal from the standard island circuit. You leave as the big day boats come home, the wind usually eases, the coves empty out, and the low light sets fire to the granite of Spargi and Razzoli. Palau sends out a dedicated catamaran and a hybrid boat that runs the other way, towards the Costa Smeralda; La Maddalena has a small-group trip with an aperitivo, drinks with snacks before dinner, on board.

This page compares the three boats, sets out what time the sun goes down month by month and which side of the deck to sit on, explains what an aperitivo afloat really amounts to, and says who the evening makes more sense for than a daytime trip. Prices come from the GetYourGuide listings at the time of writing.

Sunset boat tours in La Maddalena at a glance

The three boats compared

The sunset catamaran from Palau

This is the only product built purely for the evening. You cast off at 5:15 pm, head out towards the islands with the sun already low, make a stop and are back alongside at 8:30 pm, with 4.8 from 42 reviews according to GetYourGuide. Twelve guests at most and a catamaran that sits steady at anchor make it the pick for couples, or for anyone who wants the light without giving up a whole day: check availability for the sunset catamaran.

The hybrid boat towards the Costa Smeralda

Five hours, 12 people maximum, a quiet hybrid engine and the opposite heading: instead of the islands you follow the Gallura coast down to Porto Cervo, with an aperitivo on board, at €119 according to GetYourGuide (4.8 from 35 reviews). It earns its place if you have already done the archipelago by day and want to see the Costa Smeralda from the water; here the sunset sits behind you, over the coastal hills. More on that stretch of coast on our page about boat trips from Porto Cervo.

The small group from La Maddalena

This one leaves from the Porto Turistico on La Maddalena, runs 4–5 hours and takes in Spargi with Cala Corsara, Spiaggia Rosa (the Pink Beach) for the photo stop from the water, and Budelli, with an aperitivo. The GetYourGuide listing is new and carries a single review, so read it as a promise to verify rather than a settled verdict. For anyone sleeping on the island it saves the evening ferry.

Formats compared: sunset, full day, half day

If you have not seen the islands yet, do the classic archipelago tour first and keep the evening for another night. On its own, a sunset sailing shows you little of Spargi and Budelli, because the light has already gone flat by the time you arrive.

What time the sun sets, month by month

These times shift by a few minutes every week, so check the exact one for your date.

• June and July: the sun drops between 8 pm and 9 pm. With the catamaran back at 8:30 pm, you come into harbour with the sky still bright and sometimes with the sun still up: the golden hour is what you get afloat, and the sunset proper you watch from the pier at Palau.
• August: around 8 pm. This is the month when the 8:30 pm return lines up best with the sun on the horizon.
• September: nearer 7 pm by the end of the month. The sun goes down while you are under way, the aperitivo happens in pink light and you come back in the dark.
• October: earlier still, and some boats bring the departure forward. Check the time on the listing.

Wind is the other variable. The afternoon breeze usually fades towards evening and the sea flattens out, but the mistral, the north-westerly wind Italians call the maestrale, keeps its own hours. When it blows hard the operator cancels, with a refund or a new date according to the GetYourGuide listings. Book the sunset for early in your holiday so you have a second chance.

Insider tip: in June and July, do not pick the evening sailing hoping to watch the sun dip into the sea from the deck, because you are back before it does. Pick it for the low light on the granite and the empty coves. If you want the disc of the sun on the water, September is your month.

Where the sun goes down in relation to the islands

From the Palau side the archipelago lies to the north and the sun drops to the west: behind Spargi in high summer, and further round towards Razzoli and Corsica by the end of the season. The catamaran positions itself so the islands are backlit, granite outlines black against an orange sky. That is the right angle for photographs; to see colour in the rock, turn east instead, where Caprera and La Maddalena take the pink light.

On the Costa Smeralda sailing the sun sets behind you, over Gallura: the light hits the coastal rocks and Porto Cervo ahead of you, and the sunset itself you watch on the way home, over the bow.

The aperitivo on board: what to expect

All three boats include the aperitivo, served at anchor or under slow power, usually after the swim stop. In practice that means local produce: Sardinian cured meats and cheeses, pane carasau flatbread, a few nibbles, white wine from the area and soft drinks. It is not dinner. If you are back at 8:30 pm you will be hungry, and the restaurants along the Palau waterfront are a couple of minutes from the quay.

Every listing sets out its own version under “What’s included”. Anyone with an intolerance, or eating vegetarian, needs to flag it when booking, because there is no improvising once you are afloat. Do not count on unlimited drinks either: this is an aperitivo, not an open bar.

Couples, families, groups: who it is for

• Couples. The natural fit: 12 people, quiet, a drink in hand, three and a half hours. For an anniversary, the sunset catamaran beats any restaurant with a view.
• Families with small children. The timing is decent, but an 8:30 pm return collides with supper and bedtime. Better to take the morning half-day trip and watch the sunset from the Palau pier or from Roccia dell’Orso, the Bear Rock.
• Families with teenagers. It works well if you have already done the daytime circuit: teenagers like the empty boat and a swim stop in low light.
• Groups of friends. At eight to ten people, price up a private boat with an aperitivo instead, which we cover on the page about private tours and charter: the per-boat rate can stack up well.

Insider tip: as you board, ask the skipper which way the sun will drop that evening and sit on the opposite side for the first half hour, so the islands are lit up in front of you. Move across only for the last twenty minutes, once the sun is on the horizon.

What you actually see

The Palau catamaran heads out past the lighthouse at Punta Sardegna, skirts Santo Stefano and makes for Spargi, with the stop usually at Cala Corsara or in a sheltered cove nearby. In calm conditions it carries on to the natural pools of Porto della Madonna between Budelli, Razzoli and Santa Maria, and passes Spiaggia Rosa, which according to the Parco Nazionale dell’Arcipelago di La Maddalena may only be viewed from the water. The run home in low light takes you past the town of La Maddalena.

The small group from La Maddalena follows a similar but shorter line, because it starts inside the archipelago already. The hybrid from Palau instead runs south-east along the coast to Porto Cervo, with Isola Mortorio, also part of the national park, out on the horizon. Each island is described on our guide to the islands.

How to keep the cost down

• Evening instead of full day only if you have already seen the islands; otherwise you are paying €100 for one stop.
• Children. Check the reduced fare on the listing, as the age bracket varies from boat to boat.
• September. Same price, but the sun sets during the trip and the boat is emptier.
• Book early on GetYourGuide, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead and “reserve now, pay later”: 12-berth boats sell out before the big ships do.
• Not included. Dinner, parking at Palau, any landing contribution in cash. Read the “Not included” section.

Getting to the departure port

At Palau the boats leave from the marina, on numbered piers named on your listing. Parking is easier in the late afternoon than at 9:30 am, since cars from the day boats start freeing up around 5:30 pm, though free spaces stay scarce in August: there are paid car parks beside the harbour and a multi-storey. Olbia Costa Smeralda is 40 km away, about 45 minutes by car, and has summer flights from several UK airports; the ARST buses take 1 hr 15 to 1 hr 30, but check on the ARST site that a service runs back after 8:30 pm, otherwise you need a car. Everything about the piers is on our page covering boat trips from Palau.

For the small-group trip the meeting point is the Porto Turistico on La Maddalena. If you are staying in Palau, take the Delcomar or Maddalena Lines ferry, 15–20 minutes, with sailings through the night (timetables on Delcomar and Maddalena Lines).

What to bring for the evening

• A sweatshirt or light jacket: heading home after 8 pm, under way, it turns cool even in August.
• Swimwear and a towel, if your boat includes the swim stop.
• Sunscreen for the first hour: at 5:15 pm the sun still burns.
• Water shoes if you plan to get in over granite.
• A dry bag for phone and camera.
• Cash for any landing contribution.
• Motion-sickness tablets if you are prone to it, even though the sea is usually calmer by evening.

According to the Parco Nazionale dell’Arcipelago di La Maddalena, taking sand, shells or pebbles is forbidden, and drones need the park’s authorisation, including for that sunset shot.

Booking a sunset cruise from Palau

For the best balance of length, price and reviews on a sunset boat tour of La Maddalena, the sunset catamaran is the one we point people to: away at 5:15 pm, back at 8:30 pm, 12 guests, aperitivo included, €100 according to GetYourGuide. Check availability and the price of the sunset catamaran. If you have done the islands and want Porto Cervo, take the hybrid aperitif boat tour; if you are sleeping on La Maddalena, try the small group from the island’s own marina. For a full day under sail, see our page on catamaran and sailing trips.